Aug 18, 2011

Where age is just a number...

As I write this, at the stroke of 12 on the 15th of August, I hear crackers burst in the distance. On a midnight not unlike tonight, 65 years ago, when our founding fathers won us independence, little did they realize that this day would loose its significance many decades later.Tonight when most of India is still sleeping, while the other half of India is preparing for a show of patriotism, we have to tell ourselves to cut the crap and start living the life of true freedom and independence that our nation's forefathers envisioned.At a time, when almost every politician worth his constituency is neck deep in scams, scandals and other unmentionables, we need to introspect.Maybe, just maybe corruption is a very Indian concept and is deeply entwined within our culture and society.Maybe, certain people and newspapers are correct.

Consider this.A child acquires the habit of lying and then graduates into petty thefts. Before you'd realize you have a delinquent in your hands and trouble at your doorstep.The child lacks nothing and is otherwise a very blessed with very supportive and honest parents. Unable to accept that their child could be growing up to a thief, they are in denial but are still loving and supportive.Would you blame the child? His upbringing or his parents? Would you theorize that the child was born to be a thief and a liar? Would you think that child is inheriting his habits from his parents? Would you think that his parents deliberately allowed their child to walk the wrong path? I could go on, but I think you get the drift now, right?

Doubtless, our nation has gone astray and we've unintentionally allowed it. True.But its so easy to pick a pen or put fingers to a keyboard and blame the activists. It is very easy to believe that we are fighting corruption because of a strong media that is ruled by corporates. It is very easy to criticize.'Walk a mile in his shoe and you'll know where it bites'

We have way too many half baked critics who are satisfied with sitting on their desks with a deadline to write a 1000 word article where he/she gets paid for every word that they write passing too much ill informed verdicts instead of fighting it out on the streets.

The interesting thing about our society is that every good effort/work/person will invariably have a bunch of critics who'll have half the knowledge, none of the authority and plenty of words. When they have not spared the Holy Bible, Anna and our fight against corruption will surely have many who'll like to crucify him.